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Whiplash Review
Chris Leyton
23/02/2004
Take control of two deranged animal test specimens in one of the most enjoyable titles in a long time...
If thereâs one thing to be said about âWhiplashâ, then itâs certainly that we could do with more games along this line; a title that maintains the mass-gamer focus on action and carnage, yet never takes itself too seriously and places the sole emphasis on fun and humour.
Starring the slightly deluded duo of Spanx the Weasel and Redmond the Rabbit - two test subjects at the evil GenRon Research Laboratory. A comical series of events sees the two escape yet shackled together with three foot of chains - the two must put aside their differences and work together to save themselves unless they want to end up becoming the first combination of a Weasel and a Rabbit.
So what entails is a brilliantly designed action/adventure that for once makes ideal use of a âduoâ system. Having endured months of electro-shock testing, the neurotic Spanx uses poor old Redmond as his personal wrecking ball to knock out any security guards and cause as much destruction as possible to the complex in order to bankrupt the evil corporation; whilst he can also be put to a variety of handy uses, whether it be clogging up the cogs of a machine to spewing out toxic waste.
The game features a variety of puzzle-driven levels to test the full exploits of the duo, whilst along the way you can free other entrapped animals that will follow and help your escape. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect from the game comes from the wide range of abilities that come from the duo system; players take direct control of Spanx and can use Redmond as a personal Swiss Army Bunny â“ the more you hit him the angrier he gets â“ whilst also turning him into a fireball and using him as a helicopter to mention but a few uses of the poor old rabbit. The game certainly pumps a lot of these âupgradesâ as you plot your escape and progress further, which lends a suitable sensation of depth â“ something that most games along these lines usually falter at. In fact the level of depth featured in âWhiplashâ is surprisingly complex, with various features such as levelling up and deviously designed puzzles to worry about; those thinking this is just another run-of-the-mill platformer will certainly find themselves pleasantly surprised.
Fans of âRen & Stimpyâ, âPinky and the Brainâ or any Tex Avery cartoon will absolutely love the style and content of âWhiplashâ; both Spanx and Redmond come across as a charismatic couple that youâll quickly come to enjoy â“ chatting throughout the course of the game and making little jokes whenever possible. With so many games focussed around war and guns, itâs certainly nice to play something that provides a little humour and fun to the proceedings, whilst thereâs a constant source of videogame pastiches that will entertain the hard-core gamers out there.
âWhiplashâ is surprisingly a case of a title that is more then its parts; broken down the game relies on the tried and tested equal measures of combat, puzzles and platform exploration. Although the combat system gives no more depth then a typical button basher, it offers a wide selection of unlockable moves and the sheer frantic pace and quick response makes it far more enjoyable then it should be â“ remember smashing things in an evil corporation is both morally correct and more importantly lots of fun.
Puzzles are certainly the main challenge throughout the game and will have you scratching you head on numerous occasions; thankfully thereâs always direction and helpful hints for the player to observe and a great amount of satisfaction when finding the solution.
The visuals in âWhiplashâ are generally a mix of the good and the bad. The character models are without doubt the strongest element, featuring impressive detail and some wonderful animations; in particular Crystal Dynamics have nailed the scurrying animation of a weasel and a rabbit perfectly. This however also has an impact on the gameplay, as players can grab hold of a shoulder button to make the pair scurry along any pipe of fixture within the game; this certainly has a profound impact on the way you play the game and just looks and feels so right. However itâs certainly the hamsters that come across as the stars of the show, whether it be from flying out of cannons or faking their own death to trick the evil scientists.
Sadly the overall look is one of a Playstation2 game and so event he Xbox version looks a tad simplistic at times; it should also be noted that at times the game displays some severe clipping problems, with Redmond often merging into walls and any other surrounding objects.
The music comes across as a big disappointment in âWhiplashâ; using a dynamic system that builds up with the amount of carnage going on-screen, itâs simply too quiet and subdued for most of the time. Another aspect that soon begins to grate is the lack of lines for characters within the game; itâs great to see Spanx and Redmond chatting away and cracking jokes whilst you play, but sadly youâll find yourselves listening to the same lines within a short time â“ if developers want to implement this level of vocal interaction then they certainly need to write and record more lines.
